WSB Contenders

[Stokesy]

Shamelessly stolen from http://www.motorbikesport.co.uk/2007_wo ... contenders

With the start of the new World Superbike Championship just around the corner we took some time to cast an eye over the possible contenders for the title as well as potential race winners.

Troy Bayliss, Ducati Xerox Team
Defending Champion and odds-on favourite this time round too. Stuck one to the MotoGP boys at the tail end of last season by turning up, putting a bike he hadn't ridden in a couple of years on pole position and then leading the race from start to finish. Pre-season has seen him knocking lap records over too, so don't be surprised if he disappears over the horizon and leaves everyone else to fight over second place.

Troy Corser, Yamaha Motor Italia
The other Troy is Corser. His title defence never got going last year and if he's going to add a third World Superbike title to his stable then it's now or never. He's changed teams this year and can sometimes dissapear in races so it's hard to predict how this year will work out for the Aussie.

Lorenzo Lanzi, Ducati Xerox Team
Much was expected from Lazi last season and, quite simply, he failed to deliver. He got the factory ride for, amongst other things, some fantastic guest rides for the team in 2005 when covering for the injured Laconi. Last year, however, saw him finish eighth in the Championship and he will want to, and need to, improve considerably.

Noriyuki Haga, Yamaha Motor Italia
Haga is never far from the front, but never seems to be there consistently enough to make a strong title challenge. Last time out saw him finish just behind Toseland but a massive 105 points behind Bayliss. The popular Japanese enjoys big support for his gung-ho outlook and never-say-die attitude but he will be getting desperate to take the title while he's still riding a competitive bike.

Max Biaggi, Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra
A big unknown quantity in Superbikes but potentially Bayliss' biggest threat all the same. Judging from pre-season testing, Biaggi's year off doesn't seem to have slowed him down but time will tell whether he can recapture the speed he showed when he dominated the 250cc GP class.

James Toseland, Ten Kate Honda Team
Britain's 2004 World Champion had a dire time defending it before switching to Ten Kate last year where he proved many doubters wrong. Taking three race wins and many podiums saw him finish in second place (albeit a long way back from the imperious Bayliss). Expect to see him move to MotoGP before too long so he will be looking to leave an impression on the series.

Yukio Kagayama, Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra
Another popular rider from the Orient, but one that shows his true ability fleetingly during races. Having said that he is still able to pop up, on form, and take double victories, as demonstrated at Brno last year. Expect him to finish top seven most races.

Regis Laconi, PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse
The man who pushed the title race down to the wire in 2004 hasn't enjoyed much success since and didn't even make it onto the podium last year. Another year with Kawasaki and the stability should seem him garner some better results, if he can stay free of injury.